


Wedding waltz in minor

by DaftDays



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-13
Updated: 2014-03-13
Packaged: 2018-01-15 13:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1306075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaftDays/pseuds/DaftDays
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the day of the wedding and Levi can't stop smiling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wedding waltz in minor

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything in like three years and then all of a sudden bam my head is full of snk and this happens. Loosely inspired by a song with the same name (in Finnish though). Forgive me for my non-native English, and, uh, yeah. Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Sort of modified canon kind of thing, Erwin is nobility and all that. And wanted to get married in his military uniform because he's cool like that. 
> 
> Also, [I have a tumblr](http://daftd.tumblr.com/), and you can find this fic [here](http://daftd.tumblr.com/post/79413701863/wedding-waltz-in-minor).

”Nervous?”

Erwin lifts his eyes from the shirt he's been buttoning. It's crisp white with the fresh, slightly stiff scent only brand new clothing had. It had come straight from the tailor, made to fit him perfectly, to hug his broad frame like only clothing could

”Not really”, he says and gives Mike a brief glance, using the mirror in front of him to his advantage so he doesn't have to turn around.

His fingers feel like they are speeding up, hurrying through the buttons as if he can't wait to get them done, to hide his chest and the scars on his skin. Not that there are many, he is good and hardly ever gets injured, but no soldier could make it in their line of duty without getting their skin marred a few times. Not even a soldier like Erwin.

His pants are new too and they feel a little tight on him. Erwin wishes he could have worn them for a couple of days before the wedding to make them stretch a little and feel a bit more comfortable, but he knows it's too late to think about such things now. He's only an hour away from walking down the aisle and his pants are the last thing in his mind at the moment.

Or, at least they should be. 

Mike gives him a long look and then slowly shrugs one shoulder.  
”Well, I guess it is no wonder, considering who you will be marrying.”

Erwin only nods and smiles at himself in the mirror. He finds himself wondering if Levi is smiling too.

***

A few rooms down the hallway, Levi is indeed smiling. He is looking into the mirror, fully dressed already, he hasn't been able to sleep at all the night before but it doesn't really show. He always looks tired, after all.

But the smile is new, and it confuses him a little. He raises his hand slowly and gently touches the corner of his upturned lips, as if wondering where the smile has come from. He doesn't usually smile much, if ever, and Erwin has always been telling him to smile more. He says Levi looks really good when he smiles, but Levi can't find it in himself to agree. He thinks the smile looks strange, somehow out of place on his narrow face, stretching his lips in a way he isn't used to and it's making his cheeks hurt too. But every time he thinks about the smile and tries to make it go away, it makes him think about Erwin and the smile only sticks stronger to him. Idly Levi wonders if it will ever disappear and he doubts it will, at least as long as he is by Erwin's side.

Erwin likes it when he smiles, and he would do anything for Erwin.

***

Erwin grabs the comb from the small table for the fourth time this morning and runs it through his already immaculate hair. He also checks his chin again, runs his fingers over every inch of the skin on his face to make sure there is not a single coarse hair left. Levi hates the stubble with passion, he says it's prickly and makes Erwin look untidy and that Erwin should rather skip eating than shaving. Levi also doesn't like it when his hair isn't in place, so he takes extra care with both today.

And then realizes he is actually a little nervous. It seems to get worse when he thinks of Levi and it makes his smile falter a little.

”Not nervous, huh?” Mike asks, his voice this time much closer than before.

And Erwin lets out a little sigh as he lowers his hand from his face and turns to his oldest friend. It is no use lying to Mike, he knows the man could smell his nerves probably to the next room, and so he only smiles at him again, this time allowing his nerves to show. He steals a quick glance at the mirror again and finds himself looking almost giddy. Like he can't wait to get to the wedding. His wedding.

”Maybe a little”, he admits sheepishly and notices Mike's hand twitch as he does so. It makes Erwin feel a little better; he knows Mike has just stopped himself from reaching over to pat Erwin on the top of his head the way he has always done, ever since the first day at training corps when Erwin was still a head and a half shorter than him.

Even though Erwin has never been a sentimental man, he is suddenly very glad that Mike is here with him.

”A little”, Mike deadpans and finally smiles back at him. He has a funny smile, funny but nice, his nose scrunches up and it makes Erwin think of a happy dog. 

Then the smile drops and Mike arches his brows a little.  
”I must admit, though, we were all quite surprised by your decision to get married... We never knew you were seeing someone”, he says and by we Erwin knows Mike means mostly himself. He also knows that Mike might feel a little bit hurt because Erwin never told him, not before he was suddenly arranging a wedding.

It is not like Erwin has deliberately kept him in the dark, but some things were better kept secret.  
”Yes, I know... We thought it was best to stay quiet about it, but after, you know, we knew we couldn't wait anymore.”

***

Levi's hands still for a moment while he checks his cravat for what feels like the hundredth time. A few days ago he could still feel the healing cut on his neck but now there is only smooth skin there, hidden underneath the cravat. It wasn't often that Levi got hurt during missions, even outside the walls, and that was what made it feel strange to him. But what was even more important was that he had gotten the cut saving Erwin's life.

Erwin had never done anything wrong. They could not have seen it coming, that was what the people in charge of the maneuver gears had told Levi when he had stormed in to demand an explanation to what had nearly cost Erwin's life that day outside the walls. It had been an ordinary reckon mission, nothing special. They were supposed to go out and to the forest and come back in a day or two, nothing more. And that was what they had done indeed, but what had happened in between going out and coming back still makes Levi's heart beat up a little faster and his knees suddenly feel weak.

He seeks out a chair and sits down, his back straight and shoulders tense as he leans into the back rest. He can still see Erwin flying through the air, majestic and beautiful like a golden eagle, and Levi follows him, feeling free for the first time in months. Like there is nothing in this world but the two of them, flying through the forest in a blur of fast motion and sharp turns and he almost laughs at the feeling.

The titan comes out of nowhere. It has climbed the tree, clearly a deviant Levi notes. Erwin is moving straight towards it but Levi doesn't worry, he only follows at his own pace, knowing that there is still plenty of time for Erwin to turn away, to go higher or lower or stop altogether. He sees Erwin grabbing the handles tighter as he nears the titan and Levi has already adjusted his direction to move away from the titan when he realizes that something is wrong.

Erwin has not turned, he is still moving straight towards the titan waiting on the tree branch and reaching out towards him and Levi realizes in a split second that Erwin's gear is not working properly. He curses and shifts his weight but it's too fast, he's thrown off balance for a second and that is enough for the titan to grab Erwin. A tree branch cuts into his neck as Levi sways in the air, watching in growing horror as Erwin struggles in the titan's hold, the fingers he has cut off the monstrous hands already growing back and then Levi is moving again, faster than he can ever remember moving.

He cuts off the titan's hand and grabs Erwin, all in one swift movement. Erwin is heavy and but he is not struggling, and Levi doesn't waste time. He stops on another tree branch just long enough to leave Erwin there before going back for the titan that has already began growing a new hand.

It never fully grows back, because in a few seconds the titan is falling through the branches to the forest floor, it's neck cut by Levi's blade that is now dull and useless and he sheathes it as he finally lands on the same branch he has left Erwin waiting on.

The memory of what happens next makes Levi scowl at his feet and he brings his fingers to his lips. Because next, next Erwin grabs him hard and kisses him, kisses him on the tree branch in the middle of the forest filled with huge trees and ugly titans and other soldiers coming towards them because of course they aren't in the forest alone, they are just so much faster than the others and Levi knows they can see what Erwin is doing. But Erwin doesn't seem to care, he just kisses Levi like it is the last time they ever see each other which Levi knows it's not.

And when Erwin asks him about marriage three days later Levi agrees that yes, it is the perfect timing.

***

 ”Yes, I know... We thought it was best to stay quiet about it but after, you know, we knew we couldn't wait anymore”, Erwin says and thinks of Levi, thinks of the stolen looks and secret touches and the nights spent at his quarters and how they have never had a moment truly their own. There has always been the possibility that something happens, that they are needed on duty, and they are always rushed, secretive. And Erwin remembers kissing Levi in the forest in front of all those people and he can't stop the smile.

Mike notices it immediately and smiles back. This time his smile is much more relaxed, less worried and sincerely happy for Erwin, just like Erwin's smile is now.  
”Yeah, near-death experiences make you think like that. I'm happy for you, Erwin. It is truly a wonder to find someone you love”, he states slowly and then stands up.  
”Time is wasting, we should get going. You wouldn't want to be late from your own wedding, would you?”

The nerves come back and Erwin's turns to the mirror again for comfort, finding none. No, he does not want to be late, he can't wait for the ceremony to be over to be honest. He does not say so but only nods and fixes his hair one last time before slipping the comb into the breast pocket of his jacket. He needs to be prepared, after all. Levi would never forgive him if he let wind ruin his hair before getting married.

Erwin tugs at the collar of his military jacket and then nods once more.

”Let's go.”

***

It feels a bit strange to be here alone, waiting for the time to leave for the ceremony. Levi wonders if Erwin has many people with him, helping him prepare. He knows Mike will be there and he smiles a little as he thinks of the man with the strange nose. Erwin could not have picked a better best man, truly. Levi, however, does not need company, he is more than fine on his own, and when the time comes he leaves without looking into the mirror again. It would only make him feel worse, seeing that smile that doesn't really belong to him.

The weather is lovely. The sun is shining for the first time in two weeks and the early autumn air is clear and crisp. Levi thinks it is perfect for Erwin, the weather that is, and as soon as he is outside he can feel the change within the city. It feels as if he has stepped into a beehive, all he can hear is the buzzing of people's voices coming all around him. The wedding of the freshly appointed Commander Smith is causing a stir and for a reason. Many had not seen it coming, and even more surprised they were when they heard who was the chosen one of the Commander's heart, and Levi looks down and smiles when he hears the whispers as he passes a group of older women. He wishes they would leave the gossiping even for one day, the day of the wedding but he knows it is futile hope. He can only believe that they will soon lose interest after the wedding.

Levi arrives at the building perfectly on time and he slips inside to wait inside the small lobby area. He does not even peek at the main room, not yet, he does not want to see Erwin. He knows Erwin is there already, he is always on time, dressed in his brand new uniform, and Mike is there with him. Most of the guests are seated already and Levi nods in greeting at the few that still trickle inside through the main doors. Some of them are looking at him oddly but he does not mind, he only nods and smiles.

***

Erwin stands at the end of the aisle, near the front of the room and suddenly he is not nervous anymore, not at all. He catches the eye of his mother sitting in the front row and she smiles at him, soft and pretty as she always has, and he sees Hanji seated behind her. She looks strange with her hair down but in a way Erwin things it suits her. It makes her look much more feminine. There are others too, friends and comrades, and then there are his superiors and some nobles he does not know but his mother does, and finally he has to look away from them and at the doors at the other end of the aisle.

It gets very silent inside the decorated room all of a sudden.

The music starts, soft and pretty like his mother, flowing through the air and Erwin can't help but to think the tone is somehow melancholic.

The doors are pushed open and Levi steps through, and Erwin's breath catches. Levi looks beautiful, just like he always has, but there is something about him that is not right and Erwin notices it right away.

Levi is smiling.

And that smile breaks Erwin's heart.

***

Levi can see it in Erwin's eyes. His smile is perfect, he can see it so clearly it hurts. And the more it hurts, the deeper Levi's smile becomes, taking over his features and pulling them in a strange way. He smiles like it is the best day of his life, he smiles like Erwin has always smiled at the men who had his father killed, he smiles like he could never have imagined anything better for Erwin, like the future he might once have dared to dream of isn't shattering into pieces right in front of him.

He smiles the way he has seen Erwin smile so many times, and not even once has it been real. Today is no exception.

Levi now understands it perfectly. He hasn't always, he has questioned Erwin's smile many times, why and how does he smile when people express doubt in his skills, mock him, threaten him, make him sad or hurt. He has always thought that it is only an irritating habit.

Erwin had been smiling at him that day too, three days after the kiss in the tree. Levi does not want to think about it but he does anyway, his cheeks already hurting from all the smiling he's doing, and somehow he knows Erwin is thinking about it too. They think about the day Erwin tells Levi he has been summoned and later comes back with a shining smile that he drops the moment they are alone. He tells Levi that he is now engaged, that his superiors would not tolerate him going around doing reckless things (but they both know it means Erwin isn't allowed to kiss Levi) and that it is about time he finds himself a wife. These are tough times we are living, he quotes, the people need something to cheer for. They need the buzz of a noble wedding, the positive spirit, and they all love Erwin already. The government needs someone to lift the people's spirits and the charming, handsome new commander is the perfect candidate. His mother would be happy too, they have already arranged him a suitable wife, the wedding is in four weeks time. He does not have a choice, he says, they will get rid of Levi somehow so he has to obey.

And Erwin asks Levi if Levi wants to run away with him, if Levi would leave the military and go with him, go where that he doesn't say, and Levi knows that even though he would follow Erwin no matter where he wanted to go Erwin would not leave. Erwin would never abandon the Scouting Legion, he would never give up his dream for freeing the mankind from the titans and the walls, and so Levi tells him no.

Levi tells Erwin that he is happy for him and that he has been chosen a beautiful bride and that they will surely have wonderful children. And for the first time, Levi feels the smile pulling at his lips. But it's not his smile, it is Erwin's.

And the smile finally drops when he steps aside from the doors into the main room and snaps into a salute as does Nanaba on the other side of the doorway and the bride walks through the door, clinging to the arm of her father. Levi's heart hurts oddly when he sees the smile on her face; it's the same smile he has smiled for Erwin in secret and he hates it that anyone else gets to smile at Erwin like that

Erwin never sees Levi without his smile. His eyes are trained on the woman coming towards him down the aisle, her beautiful face beaming at him and he feels the eyes of his mother on him and he knows what she is waiting for. Erwin straightens his back a little and does not look at Levi anymore when a smile so much like Levi's spreads on his face.

And for a little while he can tell himself it is alright, that they will be alright, that this is only a wedding and that nothing will change, but when he catches Levi's eyes after the ceremony and the smile appears on Levi's lips again Erwin knows that it will never be alright, and he smiles back.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> [NOW WITH BEAUTIFUL ART JUST LOOK AT IT](http://the-lone-sky.tumblr.com/post/79705159047/based-off-of-this-wedding-fic-by-daftd-its-a) .


End file.
